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Rig Veda · 597 of 1027
Mandala 7: HYMN LXXXI. Dawn.
1.ADVANCING, sending forth her rays, the Daughter of the Sky is seen. Uncovering, that we may see, the mighty gloom, the friendly Lady makes the light.
2.The Sun ascending, the refulgent Star, pours down his beams together with the Dawn. O Dawn, at thine arising, and the Sun’s, may we attain the share allotted us.
3.Promptly we woke to welcome thee, O Uṣas, Daughter of the Sky, Thee, Bounteous One, who bringest all we long to have, and to the offerer health and wealth.
4.Thou, dawning, workest fain to light the great world, yea, heaven, Goddess! that it may be seen. We yearn to be thine own, Dealer of Wealth: may we be to this Mother like her sons.
5.Bring us that wondrous bounty, Dawn, that shall be famed most far away. What, Child of Heaven, thou hast of nourishment for man, bestow thou on us to enjoy.
6.Give to our princes opulence and immortal fame, and strength in herds of kine to us. May she who prompts the wealthy, Lady of sweet strains, may Uṣas dawn our foes away.
Asked of Guide
Why does the hymn call Dawn a generous Daughter of the Sky and Dealer of Wealth?
The hymn describes Uṣas as a bodily force that brings visible light, prosperity, and wellbeing: “bringest all we long to have” and “thou, dawning, workest fain to light the great world.” Calling her Sky’s Daughter and a Dealer of Wealth links her daily rising to concrete benefits—food, herds, health, fame—that the community depends on.
This language treats Dawn as an active patron who bestows social goods and wards off enemies, so praising her is a request for tangible blessings (“Give to our princes opulence and immortal fame”). The portrayal echoes later Vedic texts like the Rig Veda hymns to Agni and Soma, which also personify cosmic forces as donors of riches and protection.
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